Verse 16 The rulers knew not whither I went - He made no person privy to his design, that he might hide every thing as much as possible from their enemies till he had all things in readiness; lest they should take measures to defeat the work.

That did - Or, were to do, whom he intended to employ in it.

Neh 2:16

The rulers. On Nehemiah’s arrival at Jerusalem he found no single individual exercising authority, but a number of persons, a sort of town-council, whom he calls khorim and saganim. It is not clear that he made his commission known to them at first, or indeed that he divulged it before the interview mentioned in verses 17 and 18. The rest that did the work This seems to be said by anticipation, and to mean those who subsequently built the wall.